04.16.09
Go Solar Texas
With the abundance of sunshine we receive in Texas, solar power is a logical choice for energy in Texas. It can also bring much needed jobs to help stimulate our economy. Along those lines the Environment Texas, a statewide, citizen-based environmental advocacy organization, has launched gosolartexas.org, to promote the issue. They have also started a TV ad campaign:
From there press release here’s a list of bills that we should urge our legislators to support:
- SB 545 (Fraser), which creates a statewide rebate program which would fund the installation of up to 500 megawatts of solar by 2015. SB 545 has passed the Senate Business and Commerce committee and is expected to be voted on by the full Senate next week.
- SB 541 (Watson), which requires the development of 3000 megawatts of solar, geothermal and biomass energy by 2020. SB 541 is pending in the Senate Business and Commerce committee.
- HB 3405 (Swinford), which creates a statewide rebate program that would fund the installation of 3000 megawatts of solar by 2020. HB 3405 is pending in the House Energy Resources committee.
They have a solar power fact sheet and a sign the petition urging you legislators to support solar. Full press release in the extended entry.
For Immediate Release: Contact: Luke Metzger (512) 479-0388
April 16, 2009 Jim Marston (512)
Tom “Smitty” Smith (512) 477-1155
Groups Announce TV Ad Campaign to Build Support for Solar Power in Legislature
AUSTIN – Three leading Texas environmental organizations announced a new television advertising campaign today aimed at getting the Texas Legislature to support measures to make Texas a world solar leader. The commercials will run for a week in the Abilene, Dallas/Fort Worth, Tyler/Longview, and Wichita Falls viewing areas and call on the Legislature to support incentives to install solar panels on the equivalent of a half-million Texas rooftops by 2020. The ad can be viewed here.
“Texas has the right stuff to be a world leader in solar power, producing clean energy that will create tens of thousands of jobs and reduce pollution” said Environment Texas Director Luke Metzger. “But with other states moving aggressively to court the solar industry, we have a narrow window of opportunity to act. The Legislature should invest in making Texas the Silicon Valley of solar energy.”
Environmental Defense Fund Regional Director Jim Marston added, “To ensure that Texas gets the green collar jobs we deserve from solar power, we need to show national leadership. We did that with our original wind renewable portfolio standard, saving Texans money along the way, and we can do the same if we have a renewable portfolio standard for solar power now.”
“Texas needs a statewide rebate program to make it easier for homeowners and businesses to go solar,” said Tom “Smitty” Smith, Director of Public Citizen’s Texas office. “This will kick start a solar industry in Texas that will be a major economic driver for the next century and beyond.”
More than 80 bills have been filed by a bi-partisan group of legislators to promote solar power and other renewable energy technologies, including:
· SB 545 (Fraser), which creates a statewide rebate program which would fund the installation of up to 500 megawatts of solar by 2015. SB 5454 has passed the Senate Business and Commerce committee and is expected to be voted on by the full Senate next week.
· SB 541 (Watson), which requires the development of 3000 megawatts of solar, geothermal and biomass energy by 2020. SB 541 is pending in the Senate Business and Commerce committee.
· HB 3405 (Swinford), which creates a statewide rebate program that would fund the installation of 3000 megawatts of solar by 2020. HB 3405 is pending in the House Energy Resources committee.
With only 45 days left in the legislative session, the groups called on the Legislature to act quickly to approve these bills.
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Luke Metzger
Director, Environment Texas
815 Brazos, Suite 600
Austin, Texas 78701
(512) 479-0388 ofc
(512) 743-8257 cell
(512) 479-0400 fax
luke@environmenttexas.org
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Eye on Williamson » Today is Earth Day said,
April 22, 2009 at 11:11 am
[…] yesterday a solar energy incentive incentive bill passed the Texas Senate. Also watch the gosolartexas video, and sign the […]